Eternally Broody Turkey Hen!

[Lady Dre]

Hello,
I have a year old Bourbon Red turkey hen. She has been broody for almost 3 months. I can't break her from it. She has completely plucked herself bald underneath. She comes out every so often to eat and have a drink. She is really under weight and her facial coloring is not healthy looking. I have tried blocking off her nesting areas and making sure there are no eggs to lay on but she just finds another spot to lay on, eggs, or no eggs.

Anyone have an advise on what I can do. Would a broody jail work for a turkey like it does for chickens?

 

[Aust1227]

Can you give her some eggs, and let her break her broodiness by hatching out some babies for you?

 

[BantamTurkey]

Can you give her some eggs, and let her break her broodiness by hatching out some babies for you?

This was the same idea I had. Why not let her be broody. See if her problem fixes itself. Worth a try, anyway.... Even if you just let her hatch some chickens

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

After being broody for such a long length of time, I would personally try finding a couple of day old chicks/poults (no need to have more than a couple unless you want more) and then slip them under her during the night rather than put fertile eggs under her at this point and having her sit for yet another month, especially since she's probably already lost quite a bit of weight and muscle tone from sitting so long. I've slipped various chicks/poults/keets under barren broodies countless times over the years, always with excellent results. I've even used 10-day old chicks (were already starting to get feathers!) when I couldn't find day olds, and still they all bonded by morning light just as if the broody had just hatched them out herself.

 

[BantamTurkey]

After being broody for such a long length of time, I would personally try finding a couple of day old chicks/poults (no need to have more than a couple unless you want more) and then slip them under her during the night rather than put fertile eggs under her at this point and having her sit for yet another month, especially since she's probably already lost quite a bit of weight and muscle tone from sitting so long. I've slipped various chicks/poults/keets under barren broodies countless times over the years, always with excellent results.  I've even used 10-day old chicks (were already starting to get feathers!) when I couldn't find day olds, and still they all bonded by morning light just as if the broody had just hatched them out herself. 

That's awesome!! I can't believe she was okay with the 10 day olds!! I've got one who is a wonderful sitter, but once the first one is fluffy and dry she's up. Then they have to fend for themselves. I want a nice chicken to hatch the 8 eggs I have so far. All I have to go broody is bantams. One might be able to cover one egg... Something got my standard game hen while she was sitting. She insisted on nesting in the woods. Crazy bird :/
But now I have 8 turkey eggs and not one broody hen (not even the hen who laid them). I have had nothing but horrible luck in the incubator, so I would rather just eat them as eggs then put them thru that.